You might already know 'excité(e)' as a way to say 'excited' in French. But while it's a direct translation, it doesn't always capture the full range of enthusiasm – and sometimes, it can even be misunderstood!

To truly express joy, eagerness, or anticipation like a native speaker, you'll want to explore a variety of expressions. Learning these will make your conversations more vibrant and your emotions clearer.

Let's discover 9 fantastic ways to say 'excited' in French, helping you sound more natural and expressive!

The direct, but context-sensitive 'excited' – être excité(e)

When you want to say you’re ‘excited’ in French, the most direct translation might seem to be être excité(e). However, this phrase carries a very strong and often misunderstood connotation.

While excité(e) literally means ‘excited’, its most common and immediate interpretation in French is sexually aroused.

Like many French adjectives, excité(e) must agree in gender and number with the subject: excité (masculine singular), excitée (feminine singular), excités (masculine plural or mixed group), excitées (feminine plural).

This strong sexual connotation means that if you simply say Je suis excité(e) to express excitement about an event, you will almost certainly be misunderstood as being sexually aroused. This can lead to awkward or embarrassing situations.

For English speakers, excité(e) is a classic ‘false friend’ – a word that looks and sounds similar to an English word but has a different, often misleading, meaning. This is why caution is paramount.

To express non-sexual excitement or eagerness in French, you should use other verbs and adjectives. Common and safe alternatives include: être enthousiaste (to be enthusiastic), être ravi(e) (to be delighted), être impatient(e) (to be impatient/eager), or avoir hâte de (+ infinitive) (to look forward to/can't wait to).

Instead of Je suis excité(e), you would say: Je suis enthousiaste à l'idée de voyager. (I'm excited about the idea of traveling.) or J'ai hâte de te revoir. (I can't wait to see you again.)

In very specific contexts, often with an adverb like très (very), excité(e) can refer to a non-sexual state of agitation or nervousness, like being 'over-excited' or 'worked up'. However, this is much rarer and still carries a risk of misinterpretation.

For learners, the safest and most recommended approach is to avoid using être excité(e) for non-sexual excitement altogether. Stick to the alternatives to prevent any misunderstandings.

The verb exciter (to excite) can also have a non-sexual meaning, like 'to stimulate' or 'to provoke' (e.g., exciter la curiosité – to pique curiosity). However, the adjective excité(e) derived from it almost exclusively defaults to the sexual meaning in common usage.

💡 * Je suis très enthousiaste à l'idée de notre voyage. (I'm very excited about the idea of our trip.)

• Elles ont hâte de voir le nouveau film. (They can't wait to see the new movie.)
• Nous sommes ravis de cette opportunité. (We are delighted by this opportunity.)
• La nouvelle a excité la curiosité de tout le monde. (The news piqued everyone's curiosity.)
• Les enfants étaient trop agités pour se concentrer. (The children were too restless/over-excited to concentrate.)

The general 'enthusiastic' – être enthousiaste

The general ‘enthusiastic’ – être enthousiaste

When you want to express that someone is enthusiastic in French, the most direct and common way is to use the phrase être enthousiaste.

This phrase literally translates to “to be enthusiastic” and is a versatile way to describe a state of general excitement or strong interest.

It's constructed using the verb être (to be), conjugated to match the subject, followed by the adjective enthousiaste.

As an adjective, enthousiaste agrees in number with the subject. However, it's special because it ends in '-e', meaning it doesn't change for masculine or feminine singular forms. For plural, you simply add an 's'.

Use être enthousiaste to describe someone who is genuinely keen, excited, or passionate about an idea, a project, an event, or life in general. It conveys a sustained positive feeling rather than a fleeting moment of excitement.

Choosing être enthousiaste ensures clear communication, as it avoids the potential ambiguities that other words like excité (which can also mean sexually aroused) might carry.

💡 * Il est très enthousiaste pour son nouveau travail. (He is very enthusiastic about his new job.)

• Elles sont enthousiastes à l'idée du concert. (They are enthusiastic about the idea of the concert.)
• Es-tu enthousiaste à propos de cette idée ? (Are you enthusiastic about this idea?)
• Elle était enthousiaste à l'idée de voyager. (She was enthusiastic about traveling.)
• Nous sommes enthousiastes d'apprendre le français. (We are enthusiastic to learn French.)

To be 'delighted' or 'thrilled' – être ravi(e)

To express being truly delighted or thrilled in French, the most common and natural phrase you'll hear is être ravi(e).

This versatile expression perfectly captures a feeling of great pleasure, happiness, or enthusiasm, often in response to something positive that has happened or is about to happen.

Like many adjectives in French, ravi must agree in gender and number with the subject it describes. You'll see it as ravi (masculine singular), ravie (feminine singular), ravis (masculine plural or mixed group), and ravies (feminine plural).

As the title suggests, ravi(e) is always used with the verb être (to be). For example, Je suis ravi(e) means 'I am delighted/thrilled'.

To specify what you are delighted or thrilled about, you will typically use the preposition de followed by a noun or an infinitive verb. For instance, Je suis ravi de vous voir (I am delighted to see you) or Nous sommes ravis de la nouvelle (We are thrilled by the news).

You'll frequently encounter être ravi(e) in social situations, such as meeting someone new (Je suis ravi de faire votre connaissance), hearing good news, or expressing satisfaction with an outcome. It conveys a genuine and polite enthusiasm.

💡 * Je suis ravi de vous rencontrer. (I am delighted to meet you.)

• Elle est ravie de la surprise. (She is thrilled by the surprise.)
• Nous sommes ravis de partir en vacances. (We are delighted to go on vacation.)
• Ils étaient ravis d'apprendre la nouvelle. (They were thrilled to hear the news.)
• Es-tu ravie de ton cadeau ? (Are you delighted with your gift? - feminine singular)

To 'look forward to' (expressing anticipation) – avoir hâte de

To express the idea of 'looking forward to' something in French, you use the common phrase avoir hâte de. This directly translates to "to have haste of" but idiomatically means "to be eager to" or "to look forward to."

The phrase literally means 'to have haste of' but is idiomatically used to convey anticipation. It follows the structure: [conjugated verb avoir] + hâte + de + [infinitive verb or noun].

When you're looking forward to an action, you follow avoir hâte de with an infinitive verb. For looking forward to a thing or event, you use de followed by the noun. Remember to conjugate avoir according to the subject.

This expression is widely used in everyday French and carries a strong sense of excitement or eagerness. It's a very natural way to convey anticipation, similar to "can't wait" in English.

💡 * J'ai hâte de te voir ! (I can't wait to see you!)

• Nous avons hâte de partir en vacances. (We're looking forward to going on vacation.)
• Tu as hâte de recevoir ton cadeau ? (Are you looking forward to getting your gift?)
• Ils ont hâte du week-end. (They're looking forward to the weekend.)
• Elle a hâte de manger. (She can't wait to eat.)

To be 'eager' or 'impatient' – être impatient(e)

The phrase être impatient(e) directly translates to “to be impatient” in English. However, its meaning extends beyond just negative impatience, often conveying a sense of eagerness or anticipation.

While it can certainly mean impatient in a negative sense (e.g., waiting impatiently), it frequently expresses eagerness or looking forward to something. The context will usually clarify which meaning is intended.

Remember the (e): the adjective impatient must agree in gender with the subject. Use impatient for masculine subjects and impatiente for feminine subjects.

When expressing eagerness or impatience to do something, use the construction être impatient(e) de + infinitive.

To express eagerness or impatience that something happens, use être impatient(e) que + subjonctif (though this is less common than with the infinitive).

Pay attention to the situation and accompanying phrases to discern whether someone is simply eager or genuinely impatient in a frustrated way. Both interpretations are valid depending on the context.

💡 * Je suis impatient de te voir. (I'm eager to see you.)

• Elle est impatiente que les vacances commencent. (She's impatient/eager for the holidays to start.)
• Nous étions impatients pendant l'attente. (We were impatient during the wait.)
• Tu es impatient de recevoir ton cadeau ? (Are you eager to receive your gift?)
• Ils sont impatients de connaître les résultats. (They are eager to know the results.)

To be 'over-excited' – être surexcité(e)

The French phrase être surexcité(e) literally translates to 'to be over-excited' or 'to be excessively excited.' It's formed from the prefix sur- (meaning 'over' or 'above') and excité (excited).

While excité(e) can mean simply 'excited' in French, surexcité(e) carries a stronger, often negative or overwhelming connotation. It implies a state of being too excited, agitated, or hyper, sometimes to the point of being uncontrollable or even manic. It's rarely used for simple, positive anticipation.

You'll often hear être surexcité(e) used to describe children who are too energetic or restless, animals that are overly agitated, or in situations where someone's excitement is perceived as excessive or problematic. Think of it when someone is 'bouncing off the walls.'

Remember that surexcité(e) agrees in gender and number with the subject: surexcité (masculine singular), surexcitée (feminine singular), surexcités (masculine plural), and surexcitées (feminine plural). For expressing simple, positive excitement, consider alternatives like être ravi(e) (to be delighted), être enthousiaste (to be enthusiastic), or avoir hâte (to look forward to).

💡 * Les enfants sont surexcités à l'idée d'aller au parc. (The children are over-excited about going to the park.)

• Ne sois pas si surexcité(e) ! Calme-toi un peu. (Don't be so over-excited! Calm down a bit.)
• Après le café, il était complètement surexcité. (After the coffee, he was completely hyper/over-excited.)
• Elle était surexcitée par la nouvelle, presque hystérique. (She was over-excited by the news, almost hysterical.)

To be 'over the moon' – être aux anges

The French idiom "to be 'over the moon'" translates perfectly to être aux anges, an expression used to convey extreme happiness, joy, or delight.

Literally meaning "to be with the angels," this phrase vividly paints a picture of pure bliss, as if one were in heaven. It's a strong way to describe someone feeling utterly ecstatic.

You'll use être aux anges to describe someone who is feeling incredibly happy or delighted, often after receiving good news, achieving a goal, or experiencing a wonderful event. It implies a state of intense, almost heavenly, joy.

💡 * Quand elle a appris la nouvelle, elle était aux anges. (When she heard the news, she was over the moon.)

• Après avoir gagné la compétition, il était aux anges. (After winning the competition, he was over the moon.)
• Les enfants sont aux anges avec leurs nouveaux jouets. (The children are over the moon with their new toys.)
• Nous étions aux anges de te revoir. (We were over the moon to see you again.)

To be 'bursting with impatience' (literally 'stamping') – trépigner d'impatience

To describe a feeling of being 'bursting with impatience,' the French use the vivid expression trépigner d'impatience. Literally, trépigner means 'to stamp one's feet' or 'to paw the ground,' like a restless animal.

This phrase perfectly captures the physical manifestation of extreme impatience, where one might fidget, pace, or even metaphorically 'stamp' their feet due to eagerness or frustration. It conveys a strong, almost uncontrollable urge for something to happen.

Trépigner is a regular -ER verb. It is always followed by d'impatience (or de joie, de rage, etc.) to specify the emotion causing the 'stamping' or restlessness. It's often used with the preposition à when followed by an infinitive (e.g., trépigner d'impatience à l'idée de...).

💡 * Elle trépigne d'impatience avant l'ouverture des cadeaux. (She's bursting with impatience before the presents are opened.)

• Les enfants trépignaient d'impatience en attendant le Père Noël. (The children were stamping with impatience waiting for Santa Claus.)
• Je trépigne d'impatience à l'idée de te revoir. (I'm bursting with impatience at the thought of seeing you again.)
• Il a trépigné d'impatience pendant toute la réunion. (He was fidgeting with impatience throughout the entire meeting.)

To have 'butterflies in your stomach' (for nervous excitement) – avoir des papillons dans le ventre

Just like in English, French has a colorful idiom to describe that fluttery, nervous feeling in your stomach: avoir des papillons dans le ventre.

Literally translating to 'to have butterflies in the belly,' this expression perfectly captures the sensation of nervous excitement, anticipation, or even infatuation. It's used when you feel a mix of anxiety and thrill, similar to the feeling of butterflies fluttering around inside you.

You'll most commonly hear avoir des papillons dans le ventre when someone is feeling nervous about a first date, a job interview, a big performance, or any significant event that brings a rush of adrenaline. It's almost always associated with a positive or exciting nervousness, rather than pure fear or dread.

💡 *Avant notre premier rendez-vous, j'avais des papillons dans le ventre. (Before our first date, I had butterflies in my stomach.)
*Elle a toujours des papillons dans le ventre avant de monter sur scène. (She always has butterflies in her stomach before going on stage.)
*Quand il lui a demandé de l'épouser, elle a eu des papillons dans le ventre. (When he asked her to marry him, she had butterflies in her stomach.)
*J'ai des papillons dans le ventre à l'idée de voyager en solo. (I have butterflies in my stomach at the thought of traveling solo.)

Are there other ways to say 'excited' in French?

Are there other ways to say “excited” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “excited” in French. But French is rich with expressions for emotions, from subtle nuances to strong declarations, and you'll find many ways to convey enthusiasm, eagerness, or agitation.

You can also do an online search for “comment dire excité en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local idioms.

You might find some interesting synonyms for excité or related expressions on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it, as the intensity and connotation can vary greatly.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about feeling excited, thrilled, or eager.

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different kinds of excitement, or words about strong emotions in French, the WordReference entry for excité or enthousiaste is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is a perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Victor Hugo: L'enthousiasme est la fièvre de la raison. (Enthusiasm is the fever of reason.)